Tips for Buying Your Teen’s First Car

When your teen is ready to start driving, one important decision is finding the ideal vehicle. The right vehicle could also help your teen make wiser choices while on the road and protect them in the event of a crash. Here are five tips to follow when you’re buying your teenager’s first vehicle.

1. Set a Budget for your Vehicle Buying

The cost of a new vehicle could be a bit intimidating, particularly when you’re a teen (or even your teen’s parent) and you only have a certain amount to spend. And, even when it comes to cheaper cars3, it still can feel like buying one is impossible. However, you have various financing options available to help which means owning a car is within reach. If you or your teenager can afford a couple hundred a month, the chances you’ll find a vehicle that meets your financial needs is quite possible.

2. Ensure Safety

To ensure your teen stays safe, you’ll want to consider these tips:

• Avoid vehicles that have a performance-type, sporty image that could potentially encourage your teen driver to test the performance and speed.
• Pickup trucks and SUVs might seem like a safe choice due to their weight and size, but really the chances of them rolling over during a crash is more likely. The SUV’s high rollover rate and teenage driver’s high accident rate could make a fatal combination.
• Look for a vehicle with other air bags along with the passenger and standard driver airbags. Curtain and side airbags provide an extra crash protection measure.
• Later-model full- or mid-size passenger vehicles are ideal choices because they provide sufficient weight along with up-to-date safety features. Small vehicles provide less crash protection due to their weight/size.
• When you find a vehicle that appears to be a decent choice, check the safety ratings with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Check for certain safety features like Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Stability Control and intelligent seat belt reminder features that will remind your teen driver and their passengers to buckle up.

4. Find an Easy to Drive Vehicle

Muscle cars and novice teen drivers are not a good combination. Your teenager’s first car should be a four-cylinder, lower-powered engine that’s simpler to control. This may promote less temptation for them to speed or engage in unsafe driving behavior.

4. Educate Your Teen

While it’s important you purchase a safe car for your teen, even more important (or just as important) is teaching them how to drive it safely. Regardless of how secure and safe a vehicle is, it’s still your teen’s responsibility to drive safely and stay out of danger. Therefore, you may want to enroll your teen in a driving school to ensure they learn the right way of driving safely.

5. GPS Teen Tracking

Your highest priority is obviously ensuring your teen stays safe, however, once they gain their independence, that becomes harder to do. It can be difficult to monitor your teen when they’re driving around. Fortunately, with GPS tracking devices, you can now do just that. GPS teen tracking is designed to keep you informed of your teen’s unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding and texting while driving. GPS tracking will also let you keep tabs on your teen’s whereabouts at all times.

Questions about GPS tracking for teen vehicles? Call us here at LiveViewGPS at 1-888-544-0494

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